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• General Medicine Terms

- C -

• CA-125 test

Blood test to detect an elevated level of a protein antigen called CA-125, which may indicate ovarian cancer, among other disorders.



• Calcium channel blocker (CALCIUM BLOCKER)

A medication used to treat heart disease.



• Calculi

Stones or solid lumps such as gallstones.



• Calluses

Thick, hardened areas of the skin, usually on the foot, caused by friction or pressure.



• Campylobacter pylori

Original name for the bacterium that causes ulcers; new name is Helicobacter pylori.



• Cancellous tissue

The sponge-like tissue inside bones.



• Cancer

A term for diseases in which abnormal cells divide without control. Cancer cells can invade nearby tissue and can spread through the bloodstream and lymphatic system to other parts of the body.



• Cancer

Abnormal cells that divide without control, which can invade nearby tissues or spread through the bloodstream and lymphatic system to other parts of the body.



• Candida Albicans

A common saprophyte of the digestive tract and female urogenital tract. It does not ordinarily cause disease, but may do so following a disruption of bacterial flora of the body, or in patients with depressed immune systems.



• Candidiasis

Mild infection caused by the Candida fungus, which lives naturally in the gastrointestinal tract. Infection occurs when a change in the body, such as surgery, causes the fungus to overgrow suddenly.



• Capillaries

Tiny blood vessels between arteries and veins that distribute oxygen-rich blood to the body.



• Capsule

The layer of cells around an organ, such as the capsule of the prostate.



• Captioning

Text display of spoken words presented on a television or a movie screen that allows a deaf or hard-of-hearing viewer to follow the dialogue and the action of a program simultaneously.



• Carcinogen

A substance that is known to cause cancer.



• Carcinogen

A substance or agent that is known to cause cancer.



• Cardiac

Pertaining to the heart.



• Cardiac arrest

The stopping of heartbeat.



• Cardiac output

Total amount of blood being pumped by the heart over a particular period of time.



• Cardiology

The clinical study and practice of treating the heart.



• Cardioversion

The procedure of applying electrical shock to the chest to change an abnormal heartbeat into a normal one.



• Caroli's disease

An inherited condition in which bile ducts in the liver are enlarged and may cause irritation, infection, or gallstones.



• Carotid arteries

The major arteries in the neck that supply blood to the brain.



• Carrier

An individual heterozygous for a single recessive gene.



• Cartilage

A smooth material that covers bone ends of a joint to cushion the bone and allow the joint to move easily without pain.



• Case Definition

In the example of CFS, a combination of symptoms, signs, and physiologic characteristics that serve to distinguish a case of chronic fatigue syndrome from other disease states.



• Case-Control Study

An epidemiologic study that examines selected patients who have a defined disease (cases) with persons without the disease (controls).



• Cathartics

Laxatives.



• Catheter

A thin plastic tube. When a catheter is place in a vein, it provides a pathway for drugs, nutrients, or blood products. Blood samples also can be removed through the catheter.



• Catheter

A flexible tube used to drain fluid from or inject fluid into the body. The most common catheter is the Foley catheter, used to drain urine from the bladder.



• cDNA

Complementary DNA produced from a RNA template by the action of RNA-dependent DNA polymerase.



• Cecostomy

Tube that goes through the skin into the beginning of the large intestine to remove gas or feces; it is a short-term way to protect part of the colon while it heals after surgery.



• Cecum

Beginning of the large intestine; it is connected to the lower part of the small intestine, called the ileum.



• Cell

Small, watery, membrane-bound compartment filled with chemicals; the basic subunit of any living thing.



• Cellular pathology (CYTOPATHOLOGY)

The study of cellular alterations in disease.



• Centimorgan (CM)

A unit of measure of recombination frequency. One centimorgan is equal to a 1% chance that a marker at one genetic locus will be separated from a marker at a second locus due to crossing over in a single generation. In human beings, 1 centimorgan is equivalent, on average, to 1 million base pairs.



• Central auditory processing disorder

Inability of individuals with normal hearing and intelligence to differentiate, recognize, or understand sounds.



• Centromere

A specialized chromosome region to which spindle fibers attach during cell division.



• Cerebellum

A large structure consisting of two halves (hemispheres) located in the lower part of the brain; responsible for the coordination of movement and balance.



• Cerebral embolism

A blood clot from one part of the body that is carried by the bloodstream to the brain where it blocks an artery.



• Cerebral hemorrhage

Bleeding within the brain.



• Cerebral thrombosis

Formation of a blood clot in an artery that supplies blood to the brain.



• Cerebrovascular

Pertaining to blood vessels in the brain.



• Cerebrovascular accident (STROKE)

An impeded blood supply to the brain.



• Cerebrovascular occlusion

An obstruction in the blood vessel in the brain.



• Cerebrum

Consists of two parts (lobes), left and right, which form the largest and most developed part of the brain; initiation and coordination of all voluntary movement take place within the cerebrum. The basal ganglia are located immediately below the cerebrum.



• Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN)

Term used to classify the degree of precancerous change in cells of the cervix in a condition called cervical dysplasia.



• Cervical Lymph Nodes

Lymphoid organs located in the neck.



• Cesarean delivery (CESAREAN SECTION OR C-SECTION)

Surgical procedure to deliver a baby through an incision in the lower abdomen and uterus.



• Chemical base

An essential building block. DNA contains four complementary bases: adenine, which pairs with thymine, and cytosine, which pairs with guanine. In RNA, thymine is replaced by uracil.



• Chemosensory disorders

Disorders or diseases of smell and/or taste.



• Chemotherapy

Treatment with anticancer drugs.



• Chlorhydria

Too much hydrochloric acid in the stomach.



• Cholangiography

Series of x-rays of the bile ducts.



• Cholangitis

Inflammation of the bile duct.



• Cholecystitis

Inflammation of the gall bladder.



• Cholecystitis

Inflammation of the gallbladder wall.



• Cholecystokinin

Hormone released in the small intestine; causes muscles in the gallbladder and the colon to tighten and relax.



• Cholelithiasis

A condition in which gallstones are present in the gallbladder.



• Chorea

Rapid, jerky, dance-like movement of the body.



• Chorionic villus sampling

An invasive prenatal diagnostic procedure involving removal of villi from the human chorion to obtain chromosomes and cell products for diagnosis of disorders in the human embryo.



• Chromosome banding

A technique for staining chromosomes so that bands appear in a unique pattern particular to the chromosome.



• Chromosomes

Structures found in the nucleus of a cell, which contain the genes. Chromosomes come in pairs, and a normal human cell contains 46 chromosomes, 22 pairs of autosomes and two sex chromosomes, x and y.



• Chronic

Of long duration, denoting a disease of slow progress and long continuance.



• Chronic Fatigue And Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS)

A synonym for chronic fatigue syndrome used by some patients and physicians. It should be stressed, however, that no immune dysfunction or aberration has been persuasively linked to chronic fatigue syndrome.



• Chyme

Thick liquid made of partially digested food and stomach juices; made in the stomach and moves into the small intestine for further digestion.



• Cineangiography

A procedure that involves taking moving pictures to show the passage of dye through blood vessels.



• Circulatory system

Pertaining to the heart and blood vessels, and the circulation of blood.



• Cirrhosis

Progressive disease of the liver, characterized by liver cell damage, scarring of the liver, and abnormal liver architecture and function.



• Claudication

Pain or fatigue in arms and legs due to a poor supply of oxygen to the muscles.



• Clinical trials

Research studies that involve patients.



• Clinical trials

Studies, involving patients, aimed at finding better ways to prevent, detect, diagnose, or treat cancer.



• Clone

A group of identical genes, cells, or organisms derived from a single ancestor.



• Cloned DNA

Any DNA fragment that passively replicates in the host organism after it has been joined to a cloning vector.



• Cloning

The process of making genetically identical copies.



• Clostridium difficile (C DIFFICILE)

Bacteria naturally present in the large intestine that make a substance that can cause a serious infection, called pseudomembranous colitis, in people taking antibiotics.



• Cluster Investigation

An epidemiologic investigation mounted to determine if there has been an unexpected increase in the number or prevalence of cases of illness. The increase can be with respect to a particular interval in time, a particular location, or both.



• Coccydynia

Pain around the coccyx.



• Cochlea

Snail-shaped structure in the inner ear that contains the organ of hearing.



• Cochlear implant

Medical device that bypasses damaged structures in the inner ear and directly stimulates auditory nerves to allow some deaf individuals to learn to hear and interpret sounds and speech.



• Codon

A sequence of three nucleotides in messenger mRNA that specifies an amino acid.



• Coenzyme

A substance that enhances or is necessary for the action of enzymes. They are generally much smaller than enzymes themselves.



• Colectomy

Partial or complete removal of the large bowel or colon.



• Colon

Large intestine.



• Colon polyps

Small, fleshy, mushroom-shaped growths in the colon.



• Colonic inertia

Condition of the colon when muscles do not work properly, causing constipation.



• Colonoscopic polypectomy

Removal of tumor-like growths (polyps) using a device inserted through a colonoscope.



• Colonoscopy

Examination of the colon through a flexible, lighted instrument called a colonoscope.



• Colony-stimulating factors

Substances that stimulate the production of blood cells. Treatment with colony-stimulating factors (CSF) can help the blood- forming tissue recover from the effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. These include granulocyte colony-stimulating factors (G-CSF) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factors (GM-CSF).



• Colony-stimulating factors

Substances that stimulate the production of blood cells.



• Coloproctectomy

Proctocolectomy.



• Colorectal cancer

Cancer that occurs in the colon (large intestine) or the rectum (the end of the large intestine).



• Colorectal transit study

Test to see how food moves through the colon.



• Colostrum

Thin, white, first milk produced by the breasts during late pregnancy and for a few days after childbirth. It provides a nursing infant with essential nutrients and infection-fighting antibodies.



• Common bile duct

Tube that carries bile from the liver to the small intestine.



• Common bile duct obstruction

Blockage of the common bile duct, often caused by gallstones.



• Co-Morbid

Two or more disease conditions that occur simultaneously within the same person. A diagnosis of CFS requires that certain other conditions that may also cause fatigue, such as cancer, are not present.



• Compact tissue

The harder, outer tissue of bones.



• Comparative pathology

The study of disease in animals and how it compares in humans.



• Complementary medicine

Any form of therapy used in combination with other alternative treatments or standard/conventional medicine.



• Composite resins (WHITE FILLINGS)

A tooth-colored plastic mixture filled with glass (silicon dioxide) that is used primarily for cosmetic improvements of the smile by changing the color of the teeth or reshaping disfigured teeth.



• Computed tomography (CT OR CAT SCAN)

A non-invasive procedure that takes cross-sectional images of the brain or other internal organs; to detect any abnormalities that may not show up on an ordinary x-ray.



• Conductive hearing impairment

Hearing loss caused by dysfunction of the outer or middle ear.



• Cone biopsy (CONIZATION)

A biopsy in which a larger cone-shaped piece of tissue is removed from the cervix by using the loop electrosurgical excision procedure or the cold knife cone biopsy procedure. The cone biopsy procedure may be used as a treatment for precancerous lesions a



• Connective Tissue

The supporting tissues of the body, such as tendons, ligaments, bone, and cartilage.



• Connective Tissue Disorder

A variety of inflammatory diseases of connective tissue, the most common of which is rheumatoid arthritis. Much, if not all, of this disease is now attributed to autoimmune processes.



• Consanguinity

Genetic relationship. Consanguineous individuals have at least one common ancestor in the preceding few generations.



• Conservative change

An amino acid change that does not affect significantly the function of the protein.



• Conserved sequence

A base sequence in a DNA molecule (or an amino acid sequence in a protein) that has remained essentially unchanged throughout evolution.



• Constrict

Tighten; narrow.



• Contiguous genes

Genes physically close on a chromosome that when acting together express certain traits.



• Continence

Ability to hold in a bowel movement or urine.



• Continent ileostomy

Operation to create a pouch from part of the small intestine. Stool that collects in the pouch is removed by inserting a small tube through an opening made in the abdomen.



• Contractions, labor

Rhythmic tightening of the muscular wall of the uterus to push the fetus down through the vagina during childbirth.



• Control

A device used to verify or regulate a scientific experiment or study. A case-control study serves as a useful example. Since patients with a specific illness are examined for various characteristics, a group of healthy individuals who otherwise have as much in common with the patients as possible must be examined in parallel for the same characteristics.



• Contusion

A bruise caused by a blow to the muscle, tendon, or ligament; caused when blood pools around the point of injury and discolors the skin.



• Cornea

The clear, dome-shaped surface that covers the front of the eye.



• Corneal curvature

The shape of the front surface of the eye.



• Coronary artery bypass graft (CAB OR CABG)

A surgical procedure in which a healthy blood vessel is transplanted from another part of the body into the heart to replace or bypass a diseased vessel.



• Coronary heart disease

A condition in which the coronary arteries narrow from an accumulation of plaque (atherosclerosis) and cause a decrease in blood flow.



• Coronary occlusion

An obstruction of one of the coronary arteries that decreases flow to the heart muscle.



• Coronary thrombosis

The formation of a clot in one of the arteries that carry blood to the heart muscle.



• Cortex

The outer layer of the cerebrum, densely packed with nerve cells.



• Corticosteroids

Potent anti-inflammatory hormones that are made naturally in the body or synthetically for use as drugs. The most commonly prescribed drug of this type is prednisone.



• Craniectomy

Excision of a part of the skull.



• Craniotomy

Surgical opening of the skull to gain access to the intracranial structures.



• Creatinine

A component of urine, and the final breakdown product of creatine, which is an important molecule for building energy reserves, for example, in muscle cells.



• Crepitus

Grinding noise or sensation within a joint.



• Cross-Sectional Study

In epidemiology, a study in which participants are examined at only a single time for characteristics of a disease.



• Crown

A 'cap' that covers a cracked or broken tooth, unfixed by a filling, to approximate its normal size and shape.



• Cryoprostatectomy

Freezing of the prostate through the use of liquid nitrogen probes guided by transrectal ultrasound of the prostate.



• Cryothalamotomy

A surgical procedure in which a supercooled probe is inserted into a part of the brain called the thalamus in order to stop tremors.



• Cryptosporidia

Parasite that can cause gastrointestinal infection and diarrhea. (See also gastroenteritis.)



• CT or CAT scan

Detailed pictures of areas of the body created by a computer linked to an x-ray machine. Also called computed tomography scan or computed axial tomography scan.



• Cued speech

Method of communication that combines speech reading with a system of handshapes placed near the mouth to help deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals differentiate words that look similar on the lips.



• Cupping

The use of warmed glass jars to create suction on certain points of the body.



• Cyanosis

Bluish color in the skin due to insufficient oxygen levels in the blood.



• Cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS)

Sudden, repeated attacks of severe vomiting (especially in children), nausea, and physical exhaustion with no apparent cause.



• Cystic duct

Tube that carries bile from the gallbladder into the common bile duct and the small intestine.



• Cystic duct obstruction

Blockage of the cystic duct, often caused by gallstones.



• Cystometry

Diagnostic procedure that measures bladder capacity and pressure changes as the bladder fills and empties.



• Cystourethrocele

Condition that results when the urethra and its supporting tissues weaken and drop into the vagina leading to stress incontinence.



• Cytogenetics

The study of chromosomes.



• Cytokine

Proteins manufactured by cells of various lineages that, when secreted, drive specific responses (e.g., proliferation, growth, or maturation) in other susceptible cells.



• Cytology

The study of individual cells.



• Cytomegalovirus (CMV)

One of the eight known types of human herpesviruses, also known as human herpesvirus 5 (HHV-5). It belongs to the beta subfamily of herpesviruses. CMV can cause severe disease in patients with immune deficiency and in newborns when the virus is transmitted in utero.



• Cytomegalovirus (CONGENITAL)

One group of herpes viruses that infect humans and can cause a variety of clinical symptoms including deafness or hearing impairment; infection with the virus may be either before or after birth.



• Cytoplasm

The cellular substance outside the nucleus in which the cell's organelles are suspended.